Alien’s Original Facehuggers Were Way More Deadly

The original Facehuggers that were first shown in Ridley Scott’s Alien are undoubtedly horrific creatures that are arguably more terrifying than the Xenomorphs they create. Once the Facehugger impregnates a person, animal, or some other form of acceptable host, it ceases to be much of a threat. The original idea for a Facehugger, on the other hand, is way more deadly in that once it finishes its reproductive process, it still proves deadly to others nearby. 

In Alien: The Original Screenplay by Dan O’Bannon, Cristiano Seixas, and Guilherme Balbi, the events of the first Alien film are altered to better represent the original vision of the story. While most of the major plot points remain the same, there are a few differences, including the size of the crew, their function in space, and most shockingly the look of the alien creatures. The Xenomorph in this Dark Horse Comics series looks almost nothing like the iconic monster fans are used to seeing while retaining a fear-inducing form. The change in look for the Xenomorph was also applied to the Facehugger, along with a deadly new ability added to its horrific arsenal. 

The differences in the Facehugger are immediately apparent to Alien fans as it resembles that of a blob-like squid rather than its usual spider-like appearance. The scene in which the Facehugger latches to a member of the crew is basically the same as the one depicted in the first film, but the difference comes after the Facehugger is finished implanting the Xenomorph embryo and detaches from the crewmember’s face. In the film, the crew finds the Facehugger laying near its host, dead and unable to cause any more trouble. In the comic, the Facehugger is also found near its host, but rather than being an inert corpse, it begins to decompose, releasing its acid blood and destroying portions of the vessel, proving that even dead, a Facehugger still poses a danger to anyone around it. 

If the version of the Facehugger seen in Alien: The Original Screenplay had been carried over to the films, then any future Xenomorph horde would have an added layer of danger surrounding it. Based on what was shown, after the Facehugger is finished with its part of the reproductive cycle, it undergoes a deadly decomposition process that is a danger to anyone nearby while also warding off any potential threats that may cause harm to the recently laid embryo. This version provides one more threat for the various Alien crews to deal with as they ward off Xenomorphs.

Obviously, the creative minds responsible for bringing Alien to life decided against the recently released designs as well as the added layer of threat imposed by a Facehugger. While the deadly decomposition process was scrapped in the canonical version, that isn’t to say the Facehugger fans were first exposed to isn’t plenty deadly in its own right. The parasitic creature is able to hunt its hosts, evade threats, and lay traps all in pursuit of the continuation of its species, but even with all of that, Alien’s original Facehuggers were way more deadly.

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